Chapter 212

Chapter 212:

Jasmine’s POV

The morning air drifted through the room, cold and fresh, carrying with it the scent of pine and earth from the forest beyond. The room was shrouded in the softest of light, muted and peaceful, the kind that made everything feel suspended in time. I was half awake, my body still heavy with sleep, but the warmth from Ryder’s body against mine was impossible to ignore. His arms wrapped around me, a solid, comforting presence that seemed to pull me closer even as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

I curled against him instinctively, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek. The rhythm of his heartbeat was calming, grounding me in this moment, in the safety I’d found within his arms. It was a safety I hadn’t known in a long time, and it made me want to linger here forever.

But then, last night’s chaos surged in the back of my mind—the rogue attack, the knife at my throat, the threat of death. My heart stuttered at the memory, but Ryder’s embrace, the way he held me, seemed to push those thoughts aside. He was here. He’d saved me. That was all that mattered right now.

I felt him shift beneath me, his hand tightening slightly on my waist, and I sighed softly, trying to shift even closer. I wanted to stay wrapped in this cocoon of warmth and safety, not thinking about the rogue attack, or the traitor, or the fact that I was surrounded by so much uncertainty. All I wanted was to be here with him, to feel him.

But then I noticed something that shifted the calm. Ryder’s body had changed under me. It wasn’t subtle. His body went rigid, tense, and there was a heat between us that I felt even through the layers of fabric. My body pressed further against his without thinking, and it was then I felt the unmistakable hardness of him growing against my backside.

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips.

I shifted slightly, pressing back against him, my movement slow, deliberate. Ryder’s breath hitched behind me, and I bit my lip to stifle the chuckle that rose in my chest. I wasn’t sure where this boldness was coming from, but it was like something in me had awakened—something that wanted to tease him, to see him react.

And react he did.

His groan was low, so deep that it vibrated in my chest, and I could feel the tension in his body, the way his muscles tightened beneath me. There was a moment of stillness, and I knew he was trying to regain control, to hold back. But I didn’t want him to hold back. I wanted him to feel everything I was feeling—desire, longing, and something more.

𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡:

So I moved again, my hips rolling gently against him, and I couldn’t resist the quiet hum that escaped my lips as I did. Ryder’s reaction was immediate, like he couldn’t help himself. His groan was louder this time, and I felt his grip tighten around me.

“Jasmine,” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep and something else, something raw.

I didn’t say anything. Instead, I turned in his arms, slipping my hand beneath the blanket, between us, and moved it lower, tracing the muscles of his abdomen. The warmth of his skin felt like fire under my touch, and I couldn’t resist it.

I slipped my hand further down, to the waistband of his pants, and Ryder’s breathing quickened. Before he could say anything, I slipped my hand inside, my fingers brushing lightly against him.

The low, shuddering breath that left him made my pulse race. I stroked him carefully, slowly at first, feeling the hard tension of him against my palm. I could feel his restraint, but it was slipping—his groan was unmistakable.

“Fuck,” he hissed, his head falling back into the pillow, his body going rigid beneath mine.

I moved my hand again, this time with a little more confidence, feeling him respond to me, feeling the heat and the power between us. I watched him closely, wanting to see the effect I was having on him, to see how he’d react to the boldness I hadn’t known I had.